Scheme to attract and retain hospitality staff launches in Northern Ireland

A collaborative scheme has been launched to boost training and development opportunities for hospitality and tourism staff in Northern Ireland.

It forms part of the UK-wide Wellbeing and Development Promise that was developed and announced by the UK Hospitality & Tourism Skills Board in April.

The initiative will be rolled out in Northern Ireland by Hospitality Ulster in partnership with Tourism Northern Ireland and the Hospitality and Tourism Skills network (HATS).

Speaking at the launch of the scheme in Northern Ireland, Colin Neill, chief executive of Hospitality Ulster, said: "The Wellbeing and Development Promise is a comprehensive initiative which will guide employers on best practice. It will help to attract new talent, retain staff, and ultimately boost career opportunities within the industry".

Kate Nicholls, chief executive of UK Hospitality, added: "Hospitality has always relied on the thousands of individuals who work in our pubs, restaurants, hotels, and cafés, and it is the people that work in our industry who make it the world class industry it is. I trust that the Wellbeing and Development Promise will contribute better workplaces and more well-rounded employees here in Northern Ireland".

Commitments include a pledge to introduce a diversity and inclusion policy; offer training opportunities for staff; and consolidate anti-harassment policy in the workplace.

Businesses can sign up to the scheme to show their support.

The first 32 businesses to have signed up to the scheme when it first launched in April include BM Caterers, BrewDog, British Beer and Pub Association and Parkdean Resorts.

It comes after the number of job vacancies in the hospitality sector hit 146,000 between November 2022 and January 2023, according to data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).